Assessing Artistic and Problem-Solving Performance in Minority and Nonminority Students Using a Nontraditional Multidimensional Approach

The persistent underrepresentation of ethnic minority students in gifted programs requires change. Because identification tools used for entry into gifted programs often are held responsible for minority underrepresentation, this study investigated several nontraditional assessments for their efficacy in identifying both minority and nonminority students. A sample of 433 sixth-grade students responded to a drawing task and to two problem-solving assessments. Peer and teacher nominations also were used in the identification process. Findings indicated that the assessments identified a proportionate number of minority and nonminority students with potential in art or problem solving. The study holds promise for a multidimensional approach and for specific nontraditional assessments as means of effectively identifying both minority and nonminority student talents in art and problem solving. The study also suggests directions for further research.

[1]  A. Passow.  Urban Schools a Second (?) or Third (?) Time Around: , 1991 .

[2]  S. Fordham,et al.  Black students' school success: Coping with the “burden of ‘acting white’” , 1986 .

[3]  H. Gardner,et al.  Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences , 1983 .

[4]  D. Ford,et al.  On Discovering the Hidden Treasure of Gifted and Talented Black Children. , 1990 .

[5]  Jerry W. Sprecher,et al.  Identifying Gifted Mexican-American Students , 1980 .

[6]  R. Fullilove,et al.  Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys; Volume III , 1984 .

[7]  S. Marland.  Education of the Gifted and Talented - Volume 1: Report to the Congress of the United States by the U. S. Commissioner of Education. , 1971 .

[8]  Roger A. Johnson,et al.  Identifying the Gifted: A Theory-Practice Gap , 1983 .

[9]  John McLeod,et al.  Fostering Academic Excellence , 1989 .

[10]  J. Primack,et al.  Project 2061: Science for All Americans. , 1989, The Physiologist.

[11]  R. Valois.  The State of Americaʼs Children 1991 , 1992 .

[12]  Martin V. Covington,et al.  Self-worth and school learning , 1976 .

[13]  A. Passow.  The Gifted and the Disadvantaged. , 1972 .

[14]  R. Sternberg.  Beyond IQ: A Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence , 1984 .

[15]  Stanley Pogrow,et al.  Challenging At-Risk Students: Findings from the HOTS Program. , 1990 .

[16]  A. R. Sullivan.  The Identification of Gifted and Academically Talented Black Students: A Hidden Exceptionality , 1973 .

[17]  A. Hilliard.  Do We Have the Will to Educate All Children , 1991 .

[18]  B. Mitchell.  A strategy for the identification of the culturally different gifted/talented child , 1988 .

[19]  Judith A. Alamprese,et al.  No Gift Wasted: Effective Strategies for Educating Highly Able, Disadvantaged Students in Mathematics and Science. Volume II: Case Studies. Final Report. , 1989 .

[20]  A. Baldwin.  I'm Black But Look At Me, I Am Also Gifted , 1987 .

[21]  R. E. Clasen,et al.  Underrepresentation of Minority Students in Gifted Programs: Yes! It Matters! , 1991 .

[22]  Phillip Kaufman,et al.  Dropout Rates in the United States: 1997. , 1990 .

[23]  C. Hirsch.  Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics , 1988 .

[24]  D. Hocevar,et al.  Ideational fluency as a confounding factor in the measurement of originality. , 1979 .

[25]  Angelo M. Biondi.  On The Magic of Your Mind , 1981 .

[26]  S. Woods,et al.  Successful identification of gifted racial/ethnic group students without changing classification requirements , 1990 .

[27]  E. Torrance,et al.  The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking , 2012 .

[28]  A. Crabbe.  Creating a Brighter Future: An Update on the Future Problem Solving Program , 1982 .

[29]  Ernesto M. Bernal.  Methods of Identifying Gifted Minority Students. , 1980 .

[30]  James H. Borland.  Teacher Identification of the Gifted: A New Look , 1978 .

[31]  L. Silverman.  Book Review: National Report on Identification: Assessment and Recommendations for Comprehensive Identification of Gifted and Talented Youth , 1983 .

[32]  J. Escalante,et al.  The Jaime Escalante Math Program. , 1990 .

[33]  J. Mckenzie.  The Influence of Identification Practices, Race and SES on the Identification of Gifted Students , 1986 .

[34]  M. M. Frasier.  Poor and Minority Students Can Be Gifted, Too!. , 1989 .

[35]  John A. Stinespring.  The quest to find an alternative way to identify artistic talent in black students , 1991 .

[36]  M. Runco.  Reliability and Convergent Validity of Ideational Flexibility as a Function of Academic Achievement , 1985 .

[37]  E. Susanne Richert,et al.  Rampant Problems and Promising Practices in the Identification of Disadvantaged Gifted Students , 1987 .

[38]  E. Torrance.  Discovery and Nurturance of Giftedness in the Culturally Different. , 1977 .